Writing a Winning Philosophy of Education

Discussion in 'Online & DL Teaching' started by ewrockford, Jun 25, 2011.

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  1. ewrockford

    ewrockford New Member

    I'm a college professor aspiring to online teaching. Typically the schools I'm looking into require submission of a Philosophy of Education. Though I'm able to construct a Philosophy of Education that I'm happy with, I'd like some input on how best to write one that will win as part of an application to teach online. Any help you might offer (including sharing your philosophy document!) would be appreciated.
     
  2. Princeofska

    Princeofska New Member

    I would also be interested in seeing some philosophies that have worked in the past. I did not have to write one for any of the positions I have, but I am starting to look at a few more that require them. Hopefully someone has some incite.
     
  3. Kizmet

    Kizmet Moderator

    I have some incite. To me this seems no different than a student coming online looking for the answers to the big exam.
     
  4. Moveitfred

    Moveitfred New Member

    My thought as well. I don't think you'll find anyone posting philosophies for this reason.

    Assuming, perhaps, that the previous posters are new to the game and seeking some advice, I would suggest researching each institutions' own philosophies (usually posted online in an "about us" section and/or in letters posted by the president, etc.) and ask yourself how you will contribute to this place and its educational goals. Obviously, too, weaving in specific, personal experience that relates directly to institutional goals and the kind of job you want is a plus.
     
  5. Princeofska

    Princeofska New Member

    I have been teaching online for 4 years at multiple schools, so no, I am not new - can't speak for the OP though. I think this could be a good discussion though, as more and more online schools are asking for a philosophy of education. Coming from a traditional background, I have written them for traditional schools in the past. I would like to see a discussion about what works and what does not work when writing one for a non-traditional school. To Kizmet, I can see that the OP's post may look like they are coming in here to look for the "answer," but I feel that it would not make much sense to just copy and paste someone's philosophy nowadays - especially with the power of search engines. I hope their intent was to figure out what works, and adapt it to their philosophy they have already written. I mean if we are just going to discourage talking about certain parts of the profession, then what is the point of even having this forum? But, on the other hand, you may be right about original intent, since the poster only has one post - I on the other hand would like to use his, perhaps misplaced, initiative to start a discussion about this.

    So in the spirit of this discussion, let me ask a question to kick around here - Moveitfred said that looking into the mission of a school is a good way to start, which I agree, but how much does one really regurgitate from the sales brochure? Secondly, when writing for an online college, do we praise the mode of education, or defend it, or explain why we enjoy teaching over it? These are all questions I have pondered when practicing writing a few of these.
     

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